(Scriptures in () are printed at the end of the story in blue)

 

 

What an awesome privilege it must have been to be alive and walk the same dusty roads when Jesus walked them. How wonderful it much have been to hear Him teach or to see his miracles, and oh to have seen Him face to face.

 

Crowds came from all over to see and receive from Jesus. They had wonderful times together but the time would always come when they would have to leave. People had their daily lives to live and duties to fulfill. They would enjoy their time with Jesus but eventually would leave and go back to family and friends and their jobs and such. They would have the memories of being with Jesus but would no longer be with Him.

 

There were a handful of men that Jesus picked to spend the most time with Him. He picked 12 disciples. Jesus spent much time teaching them and sharing with them. They laughed and ate together. He taught them how to pray and how to teach other people how they could know Him and have Him in their lives. Jesus spent time comforting and preparing them for when the time would come when He knew He was going to have to go away and leave them.

 

Other people found it very hard to get into the presence of Jesus. One man’s friends tore the roof off another man’s house so they could lower their friend down on a bed to get him close enough to Jesus where Jesus could see him and heal him. (mark 2:1-5)

 

One woman had to push her way through a crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. (mark 5:26-27)

 

Some people saw Jesus many times and some may only have seen Him once. But i’m sure no matter how long or how brief the one on one encounters were with Jesus that they were precious moments that changed peoples lives forever.

 

Jesus made a promise to his disciples and because of that promise we have an awesome privilege today.

 

John 14:16-18

 

16 and I will pray the father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever: 

17 even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

 

No we do not live in those awesome days when a person could sit on a mountain side and hear Jesus teach or have Him walk by and cry out to Him to "please help us" with a need that we have.

 

But we do live in a very special day. We will never have to push our way through a crowd to be with Jesus. Jesus’ Holy Spirit will come and live inside of us if we ask Him to and walk beside us and lead and guide us and never have to depart from us and to go our separate ways. He promises to never leave or forsake us. (hebrews 13:5). He is with us every moment of every day to laugh with us and comfort us and to share life with us on a personal intimate one on one basis that will last until one day we too no longer walk the dusty roads of this earth. The Bible tells us to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord. (11corinthians 5:8) then we too will see Him face to face and walk with Him through eternity.

 

Mark 2:1-5

2:1 and again He entered into capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that He was in the house.

2 and straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the word unto them.

3 and they come unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4 and when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

5 when Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

 

Mark 5:26-27

26 and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

 

Heb 13:5

5 let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, i will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

 

2 cor 5:8

8 we are confident, i say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the lord.